How to get family finances in order and live simply?

[Irishmom2]

Good advice on food budgeting, Irishmom2.

I would also add: NEVER go grocery shopping on an empty stomach! At least in my experience, when I’m hungry in the store I tend to over-buy because every last item looks mouth-wateringly delicious.

Thanks, I agree, don’t go shopping hungry! Another thing I do is stroll by the frozen food section sometimes and get ideas for things to make myself. Sometimes, we get in a rut and eat the same things over and over because we are stuck.* In the freezer section, I might see pot pie, or pasta with chicken and red peppers in alfredo sauce. I make a note, and work it into my menus.

• I read somewhere once that people eat the same 10 meals over and over. I think that happens because we try to make something everyone will eat. I have tried to expand on that and realize that sometimes, one person may only like a part of the meal, and that is okay!

mkipp, glad to see your wife supposts you in the changes you want to make. Perhaps you will inspire her by example to make her own changes too. May God bless you!

 

[JRKH]

Another thing about the “frozen food” point…

When I was a kid, my mom would occasionally buy TV dinners (at that time in aluminum trays…). Well, she would save the trays and when there was leftovers, she would make her own TV trays and freeze them.
Of course now-a-days the trays are plastic, but I have done this same thing and it works very well. I cover them with alum foil for freezing and replace the foil with a paper towel cover for microwaving.

As for eating the same 10 meals…I think that this is probably very true. We discover what everyone seems to like and that is what we go with because it is comfortable, satisfying, and familiar. In our busy lives it is many times quicker and easier to do this.
I do agree with Irishmom though about keeping an eye out for things in the store that one might decide to try on their own…

Peace
James

 

[Iheartcoffee]

My husband and I are trying to pay off student loans and we currently live VERY cheaply. We shop at thrift stores and most of our furniture is either a hand-me-down, something one of us owned before the wedding, or from craigslist. It’s amazing how little you can make do with. One thing we do often is go to the library. We are always reading or borrowing movies. It’s a great way to take care of your entertainment for the month without spending any money.

 

[Aggies08]

My husband and I are trying to pay off student loans and we currently live VERY cheaply. We shop at thrift stores and most of our furniture is either a hand-me-down, something one of us owned before the wedding, or from craigslist. It’s amazing how little you can make do with. One thing we do often is go to the library. We are always reading or borrowing movies. It’s a great way to take care of your entertainment for the month without spending any money.

Oh yes, LOL. We went a good 6mo with NO living room furniture when we moved to the new house- the old stuff was AWFUL, didn’t take it with. The kids LOVED it! Big empty room to run around in! We were heavily paying off student loans (gone now yay!) and prioritized that to save a little each month toward the furniture.

 

[JRKH]

My husband and I are trying to pay off student loans and we currently live VERY cheaply. We shop at thrift stores and most of our furniture is either a hand-me-down, something one of us owned before the wedding, or from craigslist.

Hey…I remember those days. I refer to it as decorating in “early conglomeration”…

It’s amazing how little you can make do with. One thing we do often is go to the library. We are always reading or borrowing movies. It’s a great way to take care of your entertainment for the month without spending any money.

That is a very interesting idea……unfortunately it probably wouldn’t work well with a three year old in tow…
Of course when you have a three year old your “entertainment” is pretty well covered.:bigyikes:

Peace
James

 

[TEPO]

Another thing about the “frozen food” point…

When I was a kid, my mom would occasionally buy TV dinners (at that time in aluminum trays…). Well, she would save the trays and when there was leftovers, she would make her own TV trays and freeze them.
Of course now-a-days the trays are plastic, but I have done this same thing and it works very well. I cover them with alum foil for freezing and replace the foil with a paper towel cover for microwaving.

As for eating the same 10 meals…I think that this is probably very true. We discover what everyone seems to like and that is what we go with because it is comfortable, satisfying, and familiar. In our busy lives it is many times quicker and easier to do this.
I do agree with Irishmom though about keeping an eye out for things in the store that one might decide to try on their own…

Peace
James

Do you own one of those big rectangular shaped freezers? I’ve been thinking about getting one of those… Maybe even two. (I’ve got a family of 6).

 

[JRKH]

Do you own one of those big rectangular shaped freezers? I’ve been thinking about getting one of those… Maybe even two. (I’ve got a family of 6).

I own only a small 3 x 3 deep freeze since it is only my wife and myself, but growing up we had a 23 cu.ft. chest freezer for our family of 7 (parents and 5 kids). I can tell you that I recall that freezer being completely packed full by October after all the produce was in.

They are a blessing. If you have a good sized garden, a nice big freezer is great. If you don’t do much gardening, a somewhat smaller one will probably suffice while still allowing you to pick up good deals.

Note that chest styles are preferable uprights because you can get more into a chest style freezer.

Peace
James

 

[bigmamaisback]

Pray for guidance, use coupons, and put any extra money you have towards paying off the credit cards. Times are hard for a lot of people right now. I think it’s great you are taking your finances seriously.

 

[mkipp]

I am so mad that I was not better with money. But, my wife and I have talked and started to get this going over the last few days. I would appreciate any advice on cooking and ways to have fun for less. God Bless all of you.

 

[JRKH]

Well - in so far as “fun” is concerned, there are many things that can be done at home. Board games and card games are always good choices - especially in the winter months.
Parks are generally free, or only charge a nominal fee for a year, and often have swing sets an other ways for little ones to get good exercise - plus there is just the joy of walking together. Even housework can be fun if approached properly. Give your little one a dust rag and let her help while her mom and dad dance and sing and clean and put away etc…
Since you live near the beach, there is always “beach combing” for shells and such.
I Guarantee that your little one will remember such things all her life…and tell people she had the best childhood with the coolest parents.

Cooking…Well it seems that there has already been a fair amount said on this already. Make meal planning one of the things you do together. See who likes what and what sounds good. Also - you might look online for recipes and tips to save money…I’ wager there are thousands of such sites.

Hope this helps a little.

Peace
James

 

[sweetpetunia]

I am so mad that I was not better with money. But, my wife and I have talked and started to get this going over the last few days. I would appreciate any advice on cooking and ways to have fun for less. God Bless all of you.

Cooking=
-Less red meat (eggs and legumes are cheap and healthy–find good recipes and you won’t notice the loss a few days a week)
-Empty your cupboards instead of buying groceries one week (except for emergency supplies). This means you end up “making do” with less unnecessary/impulse purchases.
-Make eating-in a priority–always have a back-up you can throw together quickly rather than buy convenience foods.
-Eat and/or freeze fruit and veggies in season (e.g., right now carrots are cheap, so we’ve been eating them raw, steamed with butter, etc.)
-Sandwiches are great for lunches, and you can add special touches for pennies. I like to use a nice artisan bread for grilled cheese, with a basic inexpensive cheddar, but I slip in some chopped red onion (sweeter than regular onions) before grilling. Sandwiches that use mayo (deli meats, chicken salad, etc.) taste awesome with fresh dill, salt and pepper.
-If your family will eat porridge, oatmeal makes a very inexpensive breakfast. Granola is easily made ahead for people who like cold cereals.
-ETA: For an inexpensive, healthy quick snack, buy popcorn kernels and make popcorn either in an air popper or on the stove in olive oil with an older, thicker (to prevent burning) pot with a lid. Once cooled, it can be packed for on-the-go in sandwich bags.

As for outings and activities, here is a post I made up in the past of budget-friendly suggestions for outings with a very young child:

1. In addition to library and park events, check out the local community center. Skating is great in the winter, and swimming throughout the year.
2. In addition to parks, try other great outdoor locations, such as beaches and national parks.
3. Look into season passes for venues that you would enjoy more than once, such as a zoo, children’s museum, or science center… With the ones in my area, I find that they pay for themselves usually within about 2-4 visits, and then we get a year’s worth of entertainment which works out to be ridiculously cheap. It’s a good investment for us. Especially with the very young age of your daughter, you may not even need to get a family pass, usually there is a “dual” or “couple” option which is cheaper, and then children under 4 are often free.
4. Visit family! Visit friends, too
5. Go on a pilgrimage to a “famous” Catholic Church if you have one of special historical significance in your area.
6. If you don’t have a lot of free time, make your free time work for you…If one spouse is grocery shopping in the city, have the other take your daughter on a “free” outing simultaneously, such as to the pet store to look at all the animals, or to the nursery to smell all the flowers and look at the fountains. One of our local nurseries here even has a play area for children, complete with slides, clubhouses and a bridge Also, many bookstores have designated play areas. Not only is this option fun for the child, but usually the shopping parent appreciates the ability to shop more quickly and in peace
7. Pick fruits in season. Berries in the summer, apples in the fall, etc. U-Pick farms are awesome for entertainment with wagon rides, play areas, petting farms, etc; and often the only cost is that of the fresh produce you bring home!

Hope this helps

 

[sweetpetunia]

We made a lot of food crafts when we were kids and that can make snack time a fun experience. An example: use peanut butter and pretzal sticks to make an art sculpture. It is a food you were buying anyway, and now it is a game that is fun and hands on, and it gives an alternative to toys.

Love this!

 

[sweetpetunia]

One more suggestion, think about making toys instead of purchasing them when your daughter wants something new to play with. You can make playdoh, fingerpaints, bubble soap, and such fairly easily and inexpensively. Think about papercrafts as well. You can print out paper dolls or coloring pages or figures to attach to popsicle sticks/tongue depressors to make “puppets” or you can make a “kite”. You can also use stuff you find around the house: egg cartons can be decorated to make “caterpillars”, etc.

Other fun activities for kids are: helping in the kitchen, having an adult trace their hands and feet on paper and then coloring it in, making musical instruments, and playing with toys in the bathtub. The internet has some great ideas for easy artsy/science-y projects too, even for pre-schoolers.

 

[luvpinsanity]

Fun Things

• Look into programs at library (usually free)
• Look into programs at church
• Local zoo/animal parks/beaches/etc anything that has an annual fee - ask for a “gift family membership” for holidays, and/or look into a place with a membership that is valid at partner museums, so you can visit multiple locations with same membership.
  -Subscribe to places like Groupon, LivingSocial, etc to help you find local activities to do for free. I know in my area they had discount admissions to corn mazes, and now we are finding deals for Christmas activities. Often these places have good deals for special occasion/date nights so you can really learn to have fun and be frugal. For example, my DH and I went to a rock concert for 65% off! It was a great birthday present to him (and he had no idea I saved so much money!)

Save Money

• Cut cable TV, downgrade internet (unless you/DW need it for work), and cut home phone. Consider switching from cable internet to DSL. Hulu + Netflix (Streaming only!) will cost about $16 a month. Check out Project Free TV or other online resources to watch other TV programs online…
• Coupon (not obsessively, but even $1 of 1 item saves money - beware coupons that say $1 off 2, or more because you may not need 2.)
• Meal Plan
• Look for books on freezer meals, Crockpot meals, and other easy ways. Simple is often the best. A quick meal is a can of chunky Campbells soup (normally get like beef with country vegetables) and some instant brown rice. Steam some vegetables or serve with raw vegetables, and viola! complete meal!
• Try a “No Spend” pantry meal week. When our pantry gets full, we make meals from our pantry. (always adding fresh produce/milk/eggs/etc) This helps keep the “extra” stuff down and we make sure nothing goes bad.
• Have way too much food? Donate it to a food pantry.
• Have way too many clothes? Wrong size? Fit strange? That pair of pants that needs hemmed and has been slung over the chair for a year? Donate it.

Go through room by room and get rid of things that you no longer need. Resist the temptation to hold onto something “just because”

I will tell you that we have struggled greatly with this. Instead, my DH and I cart things we do not need back and forth and back and forth between our apartment and our storage unit. Up and down, up and down. We are getting ready to purge our storage unit. My goal is to be clutter free by 2013.

Consider a “No Spend” Christmas where everyone makes gifts for each other instead of purchasing a gift. (Yes, you will need to purchase supplies unless you have things on hand.)

There are lots of fun things to do without spending a lot of money. It’s the MEMORIES… not the STUFF we want to remember in our lives. At least that is the motto I am trying to live. Good luck!